Bill-file.



J. E. BENJAMIN.

BILL FILE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 00T. 12, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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J. E. BENJAMIN.

-BILL FILE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 12, 1909.

Patented Mar.28, 1911'.

UNITE STAT JOSEPH E. BENJAMIN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOCOMMERCIAL REGISTER COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

BILL-FILE.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Divided and this application led October Serial No. 522,283.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. BENJAMIN, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Bill-Files, which improvement is fully Set forth in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in billtiles of that class which are in book form, and it has for its objectsamong others to improve this style of bill files and to provide asimple, yet easily operated and eflicient bill file having means forreceiving and holding the slips; also novel means including lockingdevices for each slip-pocket for holding the slips from falling out;further I provide novel means for removably holding the name card overthe pocket, and also holders or guards, whereby I dispense with theemployment of springs, to facilitate the insert-ion of the cards withone hand.

I provide ball bearings for the hinges, and aim at such otherimprovements in the details of construction as shall tend to make thedevice in its entirety most desirable and capable of serving thepurposes for which it is designed.

I further aim to facilitate the manufacture and increase the usefulnessof the device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

This application is filed as a division of my application filed January11, 1909, Serial No. 471,7 62, patented January 18, 1910, No. 947,051.

rlhe invention, in what I at the present time consider its preferableform of embodiment, is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part ofthis specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a view of the bill tilethrown open. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail with portions broken away,showing the tile closed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showingthe ball bearing hinge. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail through a portionof a leaf, showing the looped portions of the wire holder. Fig. 5 is adetail in plan, on an enlarged scale, showing portions of two leaves andtheir hinge connections. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing a portionof one of the leaves.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a preferably tubular member whichconstitutes the means about which the hinges of the leaves are mountedfor movement, and also the means for receiving a spindle or othersupport when it is desired to so mount the bill tile that it may berevolved about said spindle as a center. Such mounting and spindle arenot herein shown vas they form no part of the present invention but arecovered by separate applications.

2 are the leaves, of suitable material, preferably thin metal, and eachleaf is supported near its top and bottom edges by hinge members 3 whichhave portions 4 secured in any suitable manner, as by rivets or thelike, to the adjacent edges of the leaves and at the other end providedwith circular portions 5 which loosely embrace the tubular mem ber.Between each two adjacent circular portions 5 is arranged a washer 6sleeved upon the tubular member 1 and having a series of openingstherethrough in which are disposed the balls 7 which project in oppositedirections therefrom, so as to engage adjacent faces of the two adjacentportions 5 to constitute a ball bearing for the hinges of the leaves, aswill be clearly seen from Figs. 3 and 5, the balls being omitted fromthe latter figure except at the top to indicate that in some instancessuch ball bearings may be dispensed with without materially aecting thesuccessful operation of the other parts of the device.

IThe hinges of t-he leaves are arranged as seen best in Figs. 1 and 5,being alternated, that is, the top hinge of the one leaf is theuppermost of the upper hinges, while the lower hinge thereof is theuppermost of the lower hinges, so that the top and bottom hinges of eachleaf are the same distance apart, whereby more equal distribution of thestrain is provided and the hinges are so disposed as to be entirely outof the path of and free from any liability of any interference one withthe other.

8 are the covers of the book. They are hinged in a manner similar to theleaves eX- cept in the hinge members 9 of the covers are outermost orbeyond those of the leaves, as seen best in Fig. 1.

Upon the member 1 are collars or sleeves 10, as seen best in Figs. 1 and5, which serve to confine between them the hinge members of the leavesand covers and the washers and balls constituting the ball bearings forthe hinges. These collars may be atlixed on the member 1 in any suitablemanner.

In order to hold the covers in their closed condition and to provide forthe automatic locking thereof in such closed position, any suitablemeans may be provided. In 'the present instance I have shown as attachedto one of the covers, practically at its mid height, as seen best inFig. 1, one member 11 of a catch or clasp which hasthe right angledportion 12 secured to the cover by any suitable means, as the bolts andnuts 13, as shown in Fig. 2, the free end of said member 11 terminatingin a head member 141e which is substantially arrow-shaped, as seenclearly in said Fig. 2. At a correspondingly mid position of the heightof the edge of the opposite cover l aflix the cooperating member of theclasp or catch. This, as shown best in Fig. 2, comprises the parallelportions 15 and 1G and these are held thereto, that is, to the coverwhich they embrace, by any suitable means, in this instance shown assecured by means of the bolts and nuts 17. The two members of thisportion extend parallel with each other for a distance as seen at 18,being soldered or otherwise secured together, and thek free ends thereofare branched as seen at 19, the extremities being rolled or curled asseen at 20, and the adjacent portions converging and possessingsutlicient resiliency to normally keep the adjacent faces thereof inContact with each other, but yielding readily when the arrow head end 14of the member 11 is forced in between the rolled portions 20 as the tileis closed, thus automatically locking the covers in closed position, butpermitting of ready separation by a slight pull upon one or the other ofthe covers when it is desired to open the file.

As shown in Fig. 2, the edges of the leaves may be strengthened byturning over the edge of the metal', as seen at 21, although the featureof thus strengthening may sometimes be dispensed with.

Upon each face of each leaf are provided means for holding the salesslips and the name cards over each pocket holding such slips. As seen inFig. 1 each leaf is arranged for siX pockets and siX slips upon eachface thereof.

22 are flanged strips secured in any suitable manner, as by rivets orthe like 23, being arranged in pairs, in number corresponding to thenumber of pockets to be formed, in this instance six, three above andthree below, and in the ribbed portions 24: of these strips, which aremade hollow, are inserted the upper ends of the guard wires 25, the saidribs being cut away as at 26 for this purpose. These guard wires arepreferably of the shape shown in Fig. 5, their lower ends being passedthrough openings in the leaves and there retained in any suitablemanner, said lower ends being bent to form the looped portions 27 asseen in the detail Fig. 4t to form a support for the lower edge of thesales slip 28 as is also clearly illustrated in said ligure. The guardwires on opposite faces of the leaves have their ends passed throughadjacent openings, or it may be through the same openings in the leaf.These guard wires for the slips, two for each pocket, are practicallystationary and avoid the employment of springs, as in priorconstructions, and permit the ready insertion of the slips which may bereadily inserted at any time with one hand.

1tis to be understood that the pockets are formed by the flanged strips22, arranged in pairs, and the guard wires 25, one end of each of thelatter being attached to a strip 22 and the other end passed through theleaf, as seen in Fig. 4.

In order to hold or lock the upper ends of the slips in position I haveprovided a simple construction, such as is shown in Fig. G, and at theupper left hand corner of Fig. 1. lt comprises a bail-like device 29,the cross portion of which is adapted to extend across between the twostrips 22 and bear upon the upper portion of the sales slips therein.lts ends are suitably journaled, as at 30, in the ribs 24 of the strips22, one end being extended as shown at 31 and provided with an eye orloop 32 which is engaged with the upper end 33 of the wire 234-. whichis disposed between the ribs 24e of the adjacent strip 22, its lower endbeing provided with a handled portion 35 having a forwardly extendingmember 3G to receive the thumb or linger. As seen in Fig. 6 this lockingdevice is in its closed position. `When it is desired to remove thesales slips in said pocket or to insert another, pressure upward on thethumb piece 36 turns the bail upon its pivots land throws it up out ofengagement with the sales slips so that the pocket is ready for thereception of another slip or for the removal of those in said pocket.

It is desirable to removably hold a name card over each pocket holdingthe slips. In Fig. 1 l have shown a simple and convenient method forthus holding the cards.

ln said view, 37 are clips stamped out from 3 the body of the leaf andbent in opposite directions, beneath which the name card 38 can beeasily slipped endwise, which card will be securely held by said clipsand yet easily removed when desired.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

lVhat is claimed as new is l. In a bill le, a leaf having flangedstrips, guard wires having one end engaged in said strips, and the otherend engaged in the leaf, and a pivotally mounted clamping device mountedin said strips.

2. In a bill file, a leaf having flanged strips, guard wires having oneend engaged in said strips and the other end engaged in the leaf, and apivotally mounted clamping device mounted in said strips and having anoperating arm disposed between the flanges of one of the strips.

3. In a bill file, a leaf, a strip thereon bearing a hollow flange, anda guard wire having one end removably held within said flange and itsother end engaging an opening in the leaf.

il. In a bill file, a leaf, flanged strips on the leaf, guard wires oneach leaf between said flanged strips with their upper ends fixed to thesaid flanged strips and their lower ends passed through openings in theleaf and bent to form looped portions upon opposite sides of the leaf.

5. In a bill file, a leaf, guard wires on said leaf with their lowerends passed through openings in the leaf and bent to form loopedportions upon opposite sides of the leaf, and flanged strips on saidleaf with ribbed portions cut-away and the upper ends of said guardwires inserted in said ribbed portions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day ofSeptember, 1909, in the presence of ltwo subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH E. BENJAMIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

